HB 53-CANDIDATES INELIGIBLE FOR BDS/COMMISSIONS  8:12:20 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the first order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 53, "An Act relating to eligibility for membership on state boards, commissions, and authorities." 8:12:58 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for HB 53, Version 26-LS0296\E, Bullard, 3/22/10, as a work draft. 8:13:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG objected for discussion purposes. 8:13:09 AM PRIYA KEANE, Staff, Representative Mike Doogan, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Doogan, sponsor, reviewed the changes to HB 53 made in Version E. The first change, she noted, was the insertion of "authorities" in the bill title, so that any time boards or commissions are mentioned, authorities also would be mentioned. The second change, she noted, was based on a recommendation from Representative Johnson, which was to add municipal candidates to the list of those candidates who would have to resign their positions and be ineligible for service for a year after running for office. Ms. Keane said the final change was the addition of paragraph (2), on page 2, lines 4-7, which read as follows: (2) has filed a nominating petition, declaration of candidacy, or other required filing for elective municipal office, including a seat on a municipal school board, with a municipal clerk or other municipal official designated to receive filings for municipal office; MS. KEANE, in response to Chair Lynn, said she did not contact anyone in the Municipal League; however, she said she did speak with Jason Hooley of the State Boards and Commissions, who said "they didn't have a problem with it." 8:14:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG removed his objection to the motion to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for HB 53, Version 26- LS0296\E, Bullard, 3/22/10, as a work draft. [There being no further objection, Version E was before the committee]. MS. KEANE noted that there is a typographical error that would require an amendment. 8:15:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to adopt Amendment 1, as follows [original punctuation provided]: page 1, line 11 Delete "service" and insert "serving" REPRESENTATIVE SEATON objected. He said he does not see "service" on line 11. MS. KEANE said, "It's on line 12." REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said, "So, I'll take that as a friendly amendment to the amendment." Therefore, Amendment 1, as amended, would read as follows: page 1, line 12 Delete "service" and insert "serving" CHAIR LYNN announced that there being no objection, the amendment to Amendment 1 was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON removed his objection to Amendment 1, as amended. There being no further objection, Amendment 1, as amended, was adopted. 8:17:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed concern that the proposed bill would have a huge effect on rural Alaska. He explained that in areas with smaller populations, there are usually a limited number of people who step up to serve, and he said he thinks the bill would act as a detriment to people filing for office. If they did file for office and did not win, [the proposed waiting period of a year] would take away a number of the capable people in those communities. He opined that the problem that the sponsor purports to solve with HB 53 does not outweigh the detriment the proposed legislation would have on rural Alaska. 8:18:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, in response to Representative Gruenberg, said a majority of those present is necessary to move an amendment, but a majority of the total number of committee members present is necessary to move a bill from committee. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG expressed interest in getting a vote of the four committee members present to move the bill from committee, with a commitment from the bill sponsor to address the problems in the bill. 8:19:46 AM CHAIR LYNN opined that HB 53 is well constructed, but whether or not it is a good idea is a philosophical question. 8:20:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON stated his position that this is not a financial problem, but an interrelationship between government and how government functions. That is an issue specific to the House State Affairs Standing Committee, not for the House Finance Committee. He reiterated that this bill would have a detrimental effect on Alaska and he opposes it. 8:21:22 AM REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN offered his belief that the intent of the bill is to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. He said there may be problems finding people from rural Alaska to serve on boards and commissions as a result of the proposed bill, but "sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing to solve another." 8:22:26 AM CHAIR LYNN said the legislature can do the best it possibly can to rid conflict of interest, but there will always be appearances of it. He reviewed the rules of moving amendments and bills out of committee, noting that the chair has discretion in that regard. He said he would vote to move the proposed bill out of committee, but does not know what his recommendation would be in the bill report. 8:25:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE MIKE DOOGAN, Alaska State Legislature, said although he does not share Representative Seaton's concern about the bill, he does not see any reason to "go to extraordinary lengths to move the bill on the twenty-seventh day out of its first committee." 8:26:19 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that HB 53 was held over. 8:26:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed his appreciation of the bill sponsor and the indulgence of the chair. He warned that interpreting rules loosely can set a precedence to move a bill out of committee without a majority of its full membership.